


Will You Stay?

by TransformersG1fan271



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: I adore them together, M/M, Timothy needs a protective guy, Zane has this honey, moxxi can go away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:35:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25795990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TransformersG1fan271/pseuds/TransformersG1fan271
Summary: Timothy Lawrence didn't want to be left alone, not again.Zane Flynt was tired of being alone.
Relationships: Zane Flynt/Timothy Lawrence
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	Will You Stay?

Zane Flynt had been around for a long time. He’d seen all manners of peoples, had traveled to too many systems to count, and they always were the same. The heroes were heroes, the villains and scum were villains and scum. The only people who ever tugged at a heart he kept forgetting he had, were the begotten types.

The traumatized widows, the children with wartorn faces, the crippled who usually end up dead by days end. The people he could almost never help were the ones that kept him awake most nights.

Timothy Lawrence was just such a person. The poor lad not only had been stuck in a hellscape casino that Zane himself had worked on via the security systems, but he bore the face of the biggest monster in the galaxy. 

Pretty Boy and the last of his men had finally fallen, and the various gangs shuttered inside the casino were currently on the closest planet. Moxxi had plans to use them but was currently taking stock of what would soon be her domain, Amara and Moze escorting her. FL4K had long since retired to Sanctuary III, having found the casino much to his distaste.

Zane was in a room that had been converted to Casa de Timothy, boots resting up on a coffee table as he sat on the singular couch. It was late, well as much as Zoomer’s clock displayed, said drone lazily hovering around the room. The assassin could hardly care less, just tipping back his flask and regrettably draining the last of the liquid inside. It had taken over a month taking the casino over, and he was bloody well tired, idly wondering why in feck’s name he had signed up to go Vault Hunting one last time.

_ “Do you need anything to drink? O-or eat? Anything?”  _ Ah, that’s right. Tilting his head up, Zane’s ECHO-eye focused on the man hunched over a table a few feet away. Zane had met Timothy during his short tenure at working on casino security and had found the doppelganger a touch sweet. Never around the former monster of course, but they had shared a drink before Zane had gone off to his next job. To see him alive, whereas all the other doppelgangers were dead, gave Zane a glimmer of hope. Timothy seemed to feel the same, sticking to Zane like glue as he and the Vault Hunters planned their attack and takeover. Late nights saw them pouring over blueprints, Zane usually offered a drink or snack first before the others. Zane didn’t seem to mind, Moze and Amara catching him gathering up Timothy for sleep more than once, the operative having what they could almost say was a doting look on his face. 

Now Zane hung around with Timothy, usually playing guard to those who looked even a touch-ready to go at the other. As much as he wanted to leave, Timothy would still need to undergo a massive facial surgery that Tannis was preparing for, as the bomb wired to his jaw was still an ever-present danger. Clearing his throat, Zane motioned for the other to come close.

_ “Come now boyo, ‘nough worryin’ about yer plans.”  _ He sees the way Timothy pauses, glancing down at the ECHO in his hands before carefully setting it down. The poor lad was writing out whatever his thoughts were before the surgery in a day's time, clearly worried about dying. Zane moves his arm, and Timothy sits beside the mercenary. He’s stiff at first but nestles into Zane’s side after he takes a quick look around the room. Neither had put a name on whatever it was they did when eyes weren’t looking, but Timothy didn’t want it to ever end.

_ “I can’t help it ya know? What if, what if it goes wrong? O-Or Tannis decides that killing me would make her feel better? O-Or what if…” _ Timothy feels the squeeze on his trembling hands, and he takes in a deep breath before slowly releasing it. 

_ “I’m goin’ ta be right there boyo.” _ Zane nuzzles his nose on the side of Timothy’s temple, earning a soft sigh as the other let his nervousness trail off.

_ “O-Of course you will be.” _ Zane wouldn’t lie to him, would he?

It doesn’t stop Timothy from worrying when tomorrow comes, and he is put under for the nearly 17-hour long surgery as the mask grafted to his face is taken off, and his jaw completely removed and replaced with a newly grown version from his own DNA. Having his bone marrow taken a week previously had been harrowing for the poor guy, and he dreamed of how attentive Zane had been during the two days of his recovery. The room he awakens in days later is unfamiliar, until Zoomer comes into view, a small ray of light trailing over the other before the robot lets out a beep. Timothy only lets out a feeble noise, the entirety of his lower face hurting terribly. It isn’t long before there is the whoosh of a door opening, and he can hear something be set down on the bed beside him. 

_ “Finally awake there eh?”  _ It’s Zane, not that it would be anyone else, and Timothy’s heart flutters. Some pain relief is applied to his jaw via med-hypo, Timothy whimpering for a moment at the needle before he goes blissfully numb.  _ “Ah yer such a good patient love.”  _ He gets a small smile from the other, gently tucking some chestnut hair from that sweet face. Tannis had found a way to partially purge Handsome Jack’s DNA from the other, which hopefully would remove his murderous outbursts. For now, to see the pale face freed from its prison smiling up at him, Zane couldn’t help but feel happy for Timothy, moving to sit beside the other. Timothy slips back to sleep soon enough, and for the next week is unable to do much but rest and heal, Zane sometimes injecting him under Tannis’ strict observation. He isn’t sure why the scientist isn’t the one doing it, but when Zane is heard growling out at someone outside the door one day, he understands as the Irishman threatens a rather creative end.

_ “Zan..e.” _ It’s near the end of week two when Timothy braves speaking, the Vault Hunter looking up from his workstation at the name.

_ “Finally speakin’ are we boyo?” _ Zane grins, setting his soldering tool aside before walking over to the bed. Timothy gives a thumbs up, the act of smiling still a bit painful. He steels himself, motioning for Zane to lean down, the Vault Hunter shrugging before doing so.  _ “What is it boyo?” _

Zane isn’t expecting the hand going around his neck, placing his lips on Timothy’s. The lads’ lips are dry, for obvious reasons, and Zane just gives a small hum before returning the kiss. It’s very much not unwanted, and feeling the still healing scars stop the mercenary from turning the gesture passionate. Nervous fingers are tugging at the back of Zane’s neck, and he eventually pulls back to take hold of said hand. Timothy had the adorable habit of drumming out something if he was nervous, or perhaps excited, in this case.

_ “Breathe there boyo.”  _ Zane chuckles, feeling Timothy’s fingers drum against his palm as he takes slow breaths. Timothy wants to smile, but knows his face would only regret the action, so keeps drumming away until the urge to smile passes.  _ “Better?” _ Zane gets a nod, and the mercenary chuckles to himself before releasing Timothy’s hand, leaning down to start unlacing his boots. Those and his jacket are soon dropped beside the bed in a heap, the trained Hunter slipping himself into the bed beside Timothy. He adjusts to Timothy’s neck and head are supported, the former doppelganger's head resting on his upper chest, cybernetic arm resting over Zane’s stomach as he curls up right close.

_ “Are...w..e..a th..ing?”  _ It’s a weak thing of a question, but Zane hears it as if Timothy had been shouting at him.

_ “I should say so boyo, have been for some time eh?” _ Zane watches as that pale face turns a rose color, and he can’t help but grin at the sight.  _ “Aye, yer a cute one.” _ Timothy moves and gives Zane’s chest a light slap, wincing when the other’s laugh moves his head too much.

_ “Let’s fight another time yea? Don’t wanna hurt that wee pretty head.” _ Zane chuckles, and Timothy pouts before giving a small nod, moving his hand back in place.  _ “There we are.” _ Timothy smiles to himself, and when he fades back into blissful sleep, this time it’s with the knowledge he won’t wake up alone and abandoned again.

No, neither he nor Zane wanted that, not anymore.


End file.
